Grappling apparatus



June 9, 1931. v. G. ELLEN GRAPPLING APPARATUS Filed June 18. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l June i931, v. a. ELLEN GRAPPLING APPARMUS Filed June 18. ESQ

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 invention relates to improvements in Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT O I E-- VERN e. ELLEN, or 'MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR To THE 1.0m MA- GHINERY ooMPANY; or FAIR-FIELD, IOWA, A CORPORATION O IOWA.

GRAPILING APPARATUS Application filed June s,

grappling-apparatus designed to grapple and hold a box or a barrel, or other articles having size and weight, while being hoisted or car ried to a place of deposit, and when d sposed of, to be easily and speedily disconnected therefrom; and it consists primarily of a main member adapted to be connected to hoisting and carrying devices, and having a number of grappling hooks pivoted to its opposite edges, whereby said hooks, of their own gravity, will come in contact wlth opposite sides of the articles to be handled, and also to be. easily and speedily disconnected and held therefrom by the movement of a subsidiary member pivoted to a central portion of the main member.

In the accompanying drawings formlng a part of this specificatiomFig. l is shghtly perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention and showing the upper end of a barrel, or othercylindr'ical container, attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a more pronounced perspective sho'wing'the apparatus lIl'llJS d sconnected position. Fig. 3 1s a vertical sec-' tion on line 3 3 of Fig, 1, the article to be handled being removed,'and the apparatus being shown in its disconnected PQSIlZl OI L Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the main member, the grappling hooks and other pr ncipal attachments being removed. F 1g. s a detached plan view of the subsidiary member. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the central part of the apparatus immediately surrounding an eye-bolt to which the hoisting or carrying device is to be connected. p v Referring to the drav'vm themam memher is shown composed of a circular sheet or. plate of metal A, to-which two pairs of angle bars B are fastened at substantially right angles to each other, as most plainly shown in 4. One pair of these angle bars is extended centrally across the sheet and the other pair is centrally 'cutapart and their 1nward ends are welded or otherwise secured to the central portions. of the other bars.

Each of these pairs of angle bar's lsspaced apart with their upstanding flangeson the 1nner sides adj oining the spaces. "Notches C are cut in the edges of the sheet or plate-A A an eye bolt H is passed.

1930. Serial No. 461,966.

between the ends of the'angle bars, and holes arev made in the ends of the upstanding flanges of the bars in which pins D are inserted, and on these pins the upper ends'jof grappling hook E are pivoted. The notches G in the edges of the plate A will permit the hooks to swing inwardly sufiiciently to grapple .and hold the article to be handled. Below the metal plate A, a subsidiary or hook releasing plate F is mounted, and is 0perated as will be hereafter explained.

In the central part of the plate A a hole is made and in betweenthe central portionsof the angle bars'B .a casting G having a central tubular opening is inserted, and through 5 thi's'opening and through the hole in the plate Below-the plate a collar Iis placed on the bolt. The lower end of this collar is made'srnaller so its upper part winter as a shoulder. 70

A hole is also made in the the plate F to fit and turn smaller portionon the collar I. The plate]? being placed in position on the collarI, the washer J is placed below it on the. bolt H, and is held in place thereon by the nut K which when drawn snugly against the lower por-, tion ofthe collar will leave the plate F loosely mounted on the reduced lower end of the collar, whereby it can be freely turned thereon. To prevent, the nut IQ from working loose, a lock nut L may be added, and be provided with a cotter pin M to hold it securely in pla'ce, all of which is most plainly shown in Fig.6. a

.As shown by F 5, the outer edge of the subsidiary plate VF isv substantially circular and has recessed portions N corresponding in number with the number of grappling hooks used in the apparatusl As shown in the drawings, four grappling hooks are used but a larger number or as few as two hooks might be used. Whatever the number of 'hooks'used the recesses N in the plate F must correspond with them. When theplate F is turned so the deepest parts of the recesses N will be opposite the hooks E, they will be free toswing inwardly, and, of their own gravity, come in e to be handled, as

central part of freely on this Contact with the artic shown in Fig. 1. I 1M \Vhon the plate F is turned in the opposite direction the lower ends of the hooks E will slide out on the outwardly extended portions of the plate until they reach the portions 0 when they will be held out in disconnected position as shown in Fig. 2. To bring the hooks into engaged position with the article to be handled, all that is necessary is to turn the plate F in the direction which will bring the hooks opposite the deepest parts of the recesses N. The hooks will then be free to swing inwardly of their own gravity, and engage the article to be handled. As shown in ig. 5, the edge of the plate F which will be next the operator will be turned to the right to bring the grappling hooks into the recesses N and in engagement with the article to be handled, and to the left to bring them against the parts O and to release the hooks therefrom, but if desired, it may be constructed to catch and release said article by turnin it in the opposite directions.

To acilitate the turning of the plate F it is advisable that handles P be connected thereto, referably one on each side as most plainly s own in Figs. 1 and 2. Also, to hold the F most steadily in position it is adplate visa le to form an arcuated opening R in its opposite sides, as most plainly shown in Fig. 5, and attach downwardly extending bolts or pins S above to op osite portions of the main plate A, whereby t 1e lower ends of these bolts or pins will extend down throughthe corresponding arcuated openings. These bolts or pins should also be provided with nuts '1 or with other meansto hold the plate F at a uniform distance from the main plate A, while it is being moved from one positionto another.

It is advisable to have additional holes in the ends of the angle bars B for the pins D upon which the grappling hooks E are pivote as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, whereby the books can be set closer together or wider apart to suit difierent sizes of the articles to be handled. Also, when a pattern is provided, a single casting may be substituted for the plate A, angle bars B, central casting G and the collar I by making the pattern with the notches C, flanges for the pivot pin holes D, its central portiontoaccommodate the eye bolt H, and a central downward extension in place of the collar I upon which the subs sidiary plate F may be mounted. The drawings show the main part ofthe apparatus made of material which can be secured without having a pattern for a special casting.

The apparatus is simple, is easily operated and is extremely practical in its operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina grappling apparatus, a main member adapted to be connected to a hoisting or a carrying device, and having grappling hooks pivoted on its opposite edges, whereby they tend to swing inward and engage and hold the article to be handled, and a subsidiary member centrally pivoted below the main member, the edges of said subsidiary member being so formed that by turning it on its pivot in one direction the hooks will be free to move inward and engage the article to be handled and by turning it in the opposite direction the hooks willbe moved outward and be disconnected from said article.

2. In a grappling apparatus, a main member adapted tobe connected toa hoisting or a carrying device, and having notches in its opposite edges, grappling hooks pivoted in said notches, and adapted to swing inward and engage and hold the article to be handled, and a subsidiary member centrally pivoted below the main member, the edges of said subsidiary member being so formed that by turning it on its pivot in one direction the books will be free to move inward and engage the article to be handled, and by turning it in the opposite direction the hooks will be moved outward and be disconnected from said article.

3. In a grappling apparatus, a main plate substantially circular in form and having notches in its opposite edges, angle bars arranged in pairs and fastened to the upper side of said plate with their ends on opposite sides of the notches, pivot pins in the ends of said angle bars over the notches, grappling hooks pivoted on said pinsand adapted to swing inward and engage and hold the article to'be handled, and a subsidiary plate, approximately circular in form and with recesses in its opposite edges, centrally pivoted to the under side of the main plate and adapted to be turned'thereon, whereby the grappling hooks will be permitted to swing inward when the subsidiary plate is turned with the recesses opposite the hooks and when said plate is turned in the opposite direction the hooks will be held outward in disconnected position.

i. In a grappling apparatus, a main plate substantially circular in form and having notches in its opposite edges, angle bars arranged in pairs and fastened to the upper side of said plate with their ends on opposite sides of the notches, pivot pins in the ends of said angle bars over the notches, grappling hooks pivoted on said pins and adapted to swing inward and engage and hold the article to be handled,a subsidiary plate, ap-' proximately circular in form and with recesses in its opposite edges, centrally pivoted to the under side of the main plate and adapted to be turned thereon, whereby the grappling books will be permitted to swing inward when the subsidiary plate is turned with the recesses opposite the hooks, and

rection, the hooks Wi dlsconnected posltlon,

11 be held outward in and handles connected tothe subsidiary plate to assist in turning it.

In Witness whereof scribed my name.

, I have hereunto sub- VERN or.v ELLEN. 

